CMS released the CY 2020 home health final rule. Read the summary provided by LeadingAge National on our website. It largely follows the policies spelled out in the proposed rule, with the most notable exception being a reduction in the magnitude of the rate reduction due to the behavioral assumptions. In the final rule that value is -4.36% down from -8.01% in the proposed rule, due to a comparison made to the observed behavior of hospitals moving to MS-DRGs in 2008-9 as well as the number of concurrent changes affecting nursing homes such as recent changes to the Conditions of Participation, Review Choice Demonstration, and Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model.
LeadingAge National continues to advocate for the Home Health Payment Innovation Act – S.433 and H.R.2573 to remove the behavioral assumption adjustments for 2020 altogether, so that payment policy is made on observed evidence as opposed to behavior assumptions.
